Cardinals Fan-Favorite May Not Be Done In St. Louis

The St. Louis Cardinals have been the subject of endless trade rumors...

Mar 20, 2018; Jupiter, FL, USA; A St. Louis Cardinals hat with sunglasses sits on a glove in the dugout during a spring training game against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

After weeks of rumors, could the St. Louis Cardinals hang on to Brendan Donovan?

One prominent Major League Baseball insider didn't rule out the possibility.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

While speaking about the top trade candidates across the league on a live stream for Bleacher Report, Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted that the Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, and Seattle Mariners have been teams connected to Donovan. But also noted that he wouldn't be "shocked" if Donovan stayed.

Should the Cardinals flip Brendan Donovan?

Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) celebrates his double against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

"Brendan Donovan," Heyman said. "I mean look, St. Louis is one team that has traded. We've had so many great players on these trade lists and let's be real about it, St. Louis is the team that is actually making trades here. They've traded, obviously, Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray, both to the Red Sox. I mean, could they trade Donovan to the Red Sox? I'm not going to rule it out.

"I've seen where Seattle and San Francisco, according to The Athletic, were the favorites. Of course that was a couple, two/three weeks ago. A lot can happen there. Donovan very popular guy on the trade market. Certainly, they could keep him. He's not a free agent after the year. So, not going to be shocked if they do keep him."

Donovan hasn't just been a popular trade candidate for the Cardinals this offseason, but across the entire league. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported earlier in the offseason that over half the teams in the league had varying levels of interest in Donovan. With that much interest, it would surely be surprising to see the team not land a massive return that would move the needle.

But, it wouldn't be a bad thing at all to keep him around. Donovan has multiple years of control left and is coming off the best season of his career so far. He can play all over the field and has been a leader in the clubhouse for the team. St. Louis is going to have a very young team in 2026. Donovan very well could be someone to keep around to help turn this franchise around. A trade still seems more likely, but it is interesting to hear an insider throw a bit of cold water on it.

More MLB: Former Cardinals Hurler Calling It Quits After 13 MLB Seasons